NCAA Basketball Tournament 2010 Predictions

(CANVAS) - So you've spent hours and hours researching the tournament teams, getting your bracket ready, and reading the columns and predictions by all the experts.

Well, now here come the answers.

The 2010 NCAA Tournament field is actually one of the weakest in years. The mediocre at-large crop will give us many games that will be called upsets based on name, but if you've been following along at all this season, you know that a Cornell first-round win or a trip to the Sweet Sixteen for Richmond would not be all that suprising.

Let us remember, however, we're not here for cute moral victories. Regardless of how watered-down the field is, teams still have their sights set on cutting down the nets in Indianapolis. And despite what will be a hectic first weekend, that will likely give us plenty of double-digit seeds advancing, the cream always rises to the top and we'll still find the bluebloods separating themselves on the second weekend.

With that said, let's take a look at the Final Four:

• Kansas is everybody's pick to win the national title and it makes sense. The Jayhawks can beat you on the perimeter or inside, they're deep and talented, well-coached and have plenty of big-game experience.

• Marquette is your Final Four surprise pick. The Golden Eagles are better than people realize and they're built for the grind of a tournament. Their top players are all perimeter people, but they can play a physical game, too. Look for them to upset Kentucky in the Elite Eight ... again.

• Baylor will come out of the laughable East region, where Duke is the top seed. Despite what many think is an easy road to the Final Four for Duke, it's the Bears who can match up both on the perimeter and down low. Everyone knows about Baylor guards LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter, but Ekpe Udoh is skilled on the blocks.

• Syracuse will take the West. Regardless of Arinze Onuaku's health, the Orange lacks depth, but they won many games against top teams throughout the regular season without much of a bench. They're talented and experienced and their zone defense is as good as it's ever been under Jim Boeheim.

Four Sleepers

• Georgia Tech could possibly make some noise in the Midwest region. The Yellow Jackets got off to a nice start this season, then struggled through conference play during somewhat of an off year for the ACC. But if big men Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors get their games together, Tech could upset Ohio State in the second round.

• UTEP dominated Conference USA the way Memphis did the last few years under John Calipari. The Miners play a good Butler team, but their interior depth could be too much for the otherwise dangerous Bulldogs. Should UTEP advance, a second-round tilt against Vanderbilt would be very winnable in the West.

• Wofford and Wisconsin could be a brutal first-round game to watch in the East, but I could see Wofford winning it and possibly advancing past the Temple-Cornell winner in the second round. The Terriers are balanced and battle-tested, and moreso than the Badgers, are comfortable playing away from home. They'll be right there at the end of a slow-down type of game.

• After its first-round upset of Ohio State last  year, Siena seems an easy bet to beat a Purdue team that just isn't the same without injured star Robbie Hummel. The balanced Saints outscored their opponents by an average of 10 points a game, and have most of their key players back from last year's OSU shocker.

Four Dogs

• Stay away from Tennessee in the Midwest. First of all, their opening-round opponent, San Diego State, is more than capable of beating the Vols. But while Bruce Pearl is a good recruiter who brings great talent to Knoxville, he's not immune to falling short of expectations. UT has two wins over regular season No. 1s this year, but I'm not convinced he can take his team deep into the tournament.

• I hate to say this about BYU, because the Cougars have enjoyed a really nice season, but they're going to get bounced early in the West. Florida, a team most people thought was out, didn't just get in, but picked up a 10 seed somehow. And let's not forget it was just a few years ago when Billy Donovan led the Gators to back-to-back national titles. And BYU rarely enjoys success in the NCAA Tournament.

• If there's a 12-5 upset in this year's tournament, it will come in the East, where Cornell would beat Temple. I know the Owls are playing hot basketball and their coach, Fran Dunphy, is an ex-Ivy League guy, but the Big Red's personnel is nice and they have a near-win at Kansas on their resume. Beating Temple on a neutral floor seems likely.

• Just as the hype outweighs the merit for Notre Dame football in recent years, it does so for Irish basketball as well. Notre Dame will lose to Old Dominion in the first round of the South. And if it doesn't, then it will get embarrassed by Baylor in the second.

If you're looking for even more help filling out your brackets, try this NCAA Tournament interactive forecasting tool. Just don't tell your friends you cheated.

John P. Wise, lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is college sports junkie and founder of onegreatseason.com.